Tensiometer



July 9, 1946.

G. E. HOLTON ETAL.

TENSIOMETER Filed April 28, 1945 INVENTORS. GEORGE E HOL TOM CHEL HEGLU/VD V UNITED STATE Patented July 9, i946 s PA ENT, OFFICE 2,403,795 v I i I TENSIOMETER George E. Holton, Carl E. Heglund, and James V.

Manson, Jackson, Mich.,' assignors to HiIIGkIBY-r.

Myers Division of Kent-Moore Organization, I nc.,' Jackson, Mich, a corporation of Michigan fAp plication April 28, 1945, Serial No. 590,768

3 Claims. (01. 73-144) This invention relates to improvements in cable tensiometers. I I

An object is to provide asimple, rigid,-easily operable cable 'tensiometer through the usewof inwardly toward the interval between said seats to deflect a length of tensioned cable bridged across said seats and which instrument includes gage mechanism having a plunger spring urged outwardly toward the interval between said 'cable which the tension imposed upon a cable may be 5 I quickly and accurately determined in order that seats which plunger is responsive'to the deflecthe cable tension may, if necessary, be'properly 'tioninwardlyof the cable'to register on the gage adjusted. v the extent of such deflection.

Such an instrument is p rtic y adapted The cable deflecting means which is spring for use in the aircraft industry to determine the i urged inwardly toward the interval between said tension upon the various cable?3 which tfornrliJ a seats includes a swingable handle to be actuated part of aircraft. The instant ensiome er eplier like relative to a fixed handle of the inlongzhto ftlzgt glass f t n i m i wh i i a strumeint to withdraw the cable contacting part len 0 e 611510118 Ca 8 0 8 B 6 is of sai means away from the section of cable Supported po dp 191 Spaced a t agv 1 bridgedacross said seats to permit the instruor cable seats an mec anism i provi e o m; t b engaged t or disengaged fr m deflect such length of cable against its tension m I,

' between such anvils to measure the tension im- The instrument is so constructed that when po po t cable a deflection measurement is taken, if the dial of in Obie? OI I 111 1 lziihig 1S 9 P 3 :1 the instrument is disposed so as not to be visible rumen W 10 6X 1 1 S F 0 Space for. reading the dial, the indicator may be temapa t p twa g anvils adaptedto a porarily locked in position and the instrument -ahs e(1:f1on tof the ttensllorzleg (13:21; 0 6 1 513522 3; rlelmcaved from Ifiiefcable to a position at which 10 1115111111811 111011 a 5 a t e ia is visi e or reading. 7

exert a substantially. constant pressure inwardly other objects advantages and meritorious h the span of cable eiftendmg between the features will more-fully appear in the, followaim/PS to Qleflect mwa'r between the ing description, appended claims and accomanvils a distance which is a function of the tenpanying drawing wherein: v g I 51011 Imposed P the cable and W,h1ch t Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved ment further includes a gage provided with a tensiometer held open to receive a cable plunger which is yieldingly held qutwardly Fig. 2 is 'a rear elevation of the same teng g g zggg g ag ifi gf g siometershowing the cable deflected. in response to deflection of the cable to register g 3 sectlonal mew taketn on hne 3 3 of ,on the gage the measure of the deflection of the 5 cable under the constant pressure exerted there- 3 E g sectlonal new taken t upon. 7 I

The gage readings indicated by the actuation 5 i Sectlonal. Vlew taken on 11116 of the plunger may be in any desired increments o 6 t 1 of measurements of cable deflection such. 'as 40 t 1S gm of E Structhousandths of an inch. A table is provided by f 5 111 lgure Wlt t e Sprmg catch which the various deflection readings may be re ease translated into' tension measured in pounds. A The t t 'comprises a frame I0 having particular instrument is accurately operable over a fixed handle at h end and a of Spaced a determined range of cable tension and with a apal'fi outwardly aci n0tched anvils or limited number of cables of difierent diameters. Seats '4 at h oppqslte The h 0f the Fr examine, a single instrument may be frame is pr0v1ded with an intermediate web 16 curatel operable with cables varying in diam- Which W h the mar in of the frame forms a eter from 1 3 to A of an inch and tensioned over recess or pocket on each side of the web as shown a range varying from 10 pounds to 300 pounds. in Figures 3 and 4.

A meritorious feature resides in the provision of Vflj/ithinthe pocketlon (line dside; of ltahe we? is an instrument which exhibits a pair of outsea ed a conventiona dia in ica or A ace wardly-facing spaced apart cable seats and inplate 20 is secured by screws 22' or the like to 'cludes cable deflecting means which is spring the frame on this side and is cut out to encircle urged under a 'substantially constant pressure the dial indicator as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

The dial indicator is provided with a plunger 24 which is held outwardly by spring pressure toward the interval between the cable seats l4 as shown in Figure 1. The face of the dial is graduated as illustrated to register in thousandths of an inch the inward depression of the plunger from its zero setting. The plunger when held outwardly is adapted to engage a cable seated upon the seats [4 and as this cable is deflected the inward movement of the plunger will be indicated on the dial in the particular graduated measurements shown on the dial.

Means is provided to deflect a section of cable bridged across the seats I4 which means is here illustrated in the form of a handle 25 pivoted at 28 to a portion 30 of the frame that overhangs one of the anvils. This handle is provided with a cable engaging part or hammer 32 which is so disposed as to overhang the cable stretched between the anvils as shown in Figure 2. The frame .is cut away as illustrated in Figure 2 and this handle swings through the recess on the opposite side of the web lfi from the dial [8.

The handle 25 is held normally by tension springs 34 connected at one end with the handle and at the opposite end with the frame so that the hammer 32 engages and deflects a cable stretched between the anvils. This swinging handle therefore is adapted to.eXert a substantially constant spring pressure upon a cable engaged by the de vice. The response of the cable in distance of deflection will depend upon its resistance to deflection. The deflection of the cable under the constant spring pressure is measured on the dial I8 which may be graduated in thousandths of an inch. A face plate 36 is secured by screws 38 or the like to the frame It! over the recess within which the springs and handle portion are disposed and this face plate has associated therewith a table or scale 40 shown in Figure 2.

When the deflection of the cable is read on the dial in thousandths of an inch this may be translated into tension measured in pounds for any particular cable shown on. the table '48. t will be noted that this table in the left-hand column indicates cable diameters varying from 1 to /4 of an inch. The top horizontal row of the figures indicates tension in pounds while the squares in the horizontal rows opposite each cable diameter indicate deflection figures for a cable "of that diameter when tensicned to the number of pounds indicated at the head of the column. It is therefore possible to translate the deflection readings for any diameter of cable indicated on the table into pounds tension. Anysingle instrument is .ca-

pable of taking care of a certain number of cables of a determined range of diameters and Where the tension also comes within a determined range.

In some cases readings might have to be taken with the instrument where it would not be possible to read the'flgures on the scale while the instrument was engaged with the cable. There has therefore been provided a spring catch arrangement'which is adapted to engage the plunger 24 at any particular point and maintain it releasably at such position. This spring catch arrangement is shown in Figures and '6. A sleeve 42 is secured about the portion 25 of the dial stem which surrounds the plunger 25 and this sleeve has a pair of opposed overhanging fingers 4-4. A dual leaf spring device has a .d-iskshaped portion 46 secured underneath the fingers 34 and is rotatable about the plunger 24. To the disk 45 there is secured an upper leaf .48 which is normally held upwardly as shown in Figure 6. This leaf 48 has a handle 49. The upper leaf 48 is cut away at 52 and the spring catch may be rotated about the plunger so as to permit release of the portion 48 by the fingers 44 so that such portion 48 will snap upwardly and exert a frictional pressure against the plunger 24 to hold it at adjusted position. The plunger 24 is actuated by a very light spring pressure within the gage itself. It is also apparent that the spring catch device may be so rotated that the part 48 may be held underneath the fingers 44 so as to permit free reciprocal movement of the plunger 24.

What We claim is:

1. A tensiometer device comprising, in combination, a frame having on one side thereof a pair of spaced apart extensions each provided with an outwardly facing cable engaging anvil on the end thereof, an arm pivoted to one of said extensions to one side of the anvil thereof and carrying a hammer-like part swingable with the arm into and out of the interval between said anvils and in the plane thereof, spring means coupled to said frame and to said arm urging the latter in the direction to cause said part to enter the interval between said anvils and deflect a cable section extending therebetween, a gauge carried by said frame having an outwardly urged spring pressed plunger adapted to bear against a cable section extending between the anvils on the side of the cable section opposite said part and transmit to said gauge the extent of deflection of the cable section, and .a pair of plir-like handles on the side of the frame opposite said extensions, one connected to said frame and the other tosaid arm, so arranged relative .to one another that when gripped and compressed together by a hand against the tension of said spring means the hammer-like part is swung out of said-interval to release the cable section.

2.. A tensiometer device comprising, in combination, a frame having a :pair of spaced apart extensions each carrying an outwardly facing cable engaging anvil on the end thereof, an arm pivoted to said frame and provided with :a hammer-like partswingazble therewith into and out of the interval betweensaid anvils and in the :plane thereof, spring means coupled to said frame and to said arm urging the latter in the direction to cause said hammer-like part to enter said interval and deflect acable section against which said anvils bear, a pair of plier-like handles, one cennectedto said frame and the other to said arm, so arranged relative to one another that upon being squeezed together by a :hand against the tension of said spring means the hammer-like part is swung out of said interval to free the cable section deflected thereby, a gauge carried by said frame having an outwardly urged spring pressed plunger adapted to bear against a cable section extending between said anvils on the side of the cable section opposite said ,part and transmit to said gauge the extent of deflection of the cable section, and means manually operable to releasably lock said plunger in any adjusted position and thereby .retain the reading of said gauge regardless of the freeing of the cable section by said part.

3. .A tensiometer comprising, in combination, .a frame exhibiting a pair of spaced apart cable seats adapted to receive a .cable section extending therebetween, cable deflecting means carried by said frame having a part normally urged under substantially constant pressure against a .cable section extending between said seats, a gauge 5 6 carried by said frame having a spring urged cable section from said seats, and means norplunger adapt-ed to bear against the cable secmally holding said last means out of engagement tion extending between said seats and transmit to with the plunger but manualy operable to release the gauge the extent of deflection of the cable the same for engagement therewith.

section, means yieldingly urged into engagement 5 GEORGE E. HOLTON. with said plunger to lock the same in any ad- CARL E. I-LEGLUND. justed position regardless of the removal of the JAMES V. MANSON. 

